First Time Chick Parents, Spring 2016

[ladynewtochicks]

I am seriously glad this is the last week for chicks at our store... Went in for horse grain and came out with 3 more chicks! I'm seriously going to end up divorced over chickens

2 Marans and another speckled Sussex makes 16

it started out as 4 lol

 

[Jensownzoo]

I took shipment of 15 Bielefelder chicks this morning that I won at auction. One died almost immediately...she had a prolapsed vent. A second, bigger one also had a PV, but I worked on it for a few hours with preparation H, lube, and a q-tip and was finally able to get it to go back in...now to see if it stays there. A third chick wasn't doing so great, but syringing nutri-drench is turning her around...she was eating a bit at last check.

Every single last one of the buggers had copious bloody droppings, but it seems to be subsiding with the nutri-drench and fermented feed. I was changing out paper towels every 15 minutes for a while there! Hopefully it was just severe stress.

They look very bedraggled from their journey since they traveled with food and fruit, or I would have taken pictures. Maybe after they've had a bit of time to "freshen up".

 

[KiminPA]

Aww, all the new babies this morning Hope they all do great. I called and asked a local feed store if they were getting in anymore chicks and low and behold they are getting welsummers in on the 12th. So I'll go grab one and they are getting cuckoo marans so I'll get one of them. They'll be a week older than mine that are shipped so hopefully they'll do ok together, and I don't have to pay the crazy shipping to get a second order

 

[AmandaMBG]

Bloody droppings is a sign of Cocci. I would treat them for it.

I took shipment of 15 Bielefelder chicks this morning that I won at auction. One died almost immediately...she had a prolapsed vent. A second, bigger one also had a PV, but I worked on it for a few hours with preparation H, lube, and a q-tip and was finally able to get it to go back in...now to see if it stays there. A third chick wasn't doing so great, but syringing nutri-drench is turning her around...she was eating a bit at last check.

Every single last one of the buggers had copious bloody droppings, but it seems to be subsiding with the nutri-drench and fermented feed. I was changing out paper towels every 15 minutes for a while there! Hopefully it was just severe stress.

They look very bedraggled from their journey since they traveled with food and fruit, or I would have taken pictures. Maybe after they've had a bit of time to "freshen up".

 

[RonC]

I agree with treating them for cocci Better safe than sorry

 

[kekstrom]

I took shipment of 15 Bielefelder chicks this morning that I won at auction. One died almost immediately...she had a prolapsed vent. A second, bigger one also had a PV, but I worked on it for a few hours with preparation H, lube, and a q-tip and was finally able to get it to go back in...now to see if it stays there. A third chick wasn't doing so great, but syringing nutri-drench is turning her around...she was eating a bit at last check.

Every single last one of the buggers had copious bloody droppings, but it seems to be subsiding with the nutri-drench and fermented feed. I was changing out paper towels every 15 minutes for a while there! Hopefully it was just severe stress.

They look very bedraggled from their journey since they traveled with food and fruit, or I would have taken pictures. Maybe after they've had a bit of time to "freshen up".

Yay for your new chickies!!! I am sorry you are dealing with PV, but I 2nd the treatment for cocci. Have you read up on that? I had to treat my first batch if you need any help/advice. I am so thankful I did it and now I have the medication on hand in case I need to treat my new chicks.

Picture-ready yet?

 

[collie1470]

Well.....the upside to having the boys practicing crowing is that now I get told when their water gets dirty

 

[Jensownzoo]

Well.....the upside to having the boys practicing crowing is that now I get told when their water gets dirty

I have decided that baby crowing is on my list of favorite things...either it makes you go awwww or pee your pants from laughing!

Well, no more bloody stool from the bielefelders. Everything seems to have fixed itself with just nutri-drench and fermented feed, so I am more inclined to believe it was stress-induced. Could have been an overgrowth of coccidia since stress can mess up the immune system that keeps the numbers in check, but as long as they're doing okay I am going to hold off medicating. Was able to fix the prolapsed vent in the one chick after a few hours of prep H, and it's stayed in for 10 hours now so as long as there are complications (like infection), I think it will be okay.

As promised, the picture of them after they had had the chance to freshen up:

 

[kamrynwade]

Mine looked exactly like your "surprise chicken" and turned out like this

 

[ladynewtochicks]

Was able to fix the prolapsed vent in the one chick after a few hours of prep H, and it's stayed in for 10 hours now so as long as there are complications (like infection), I think it will be okay.

One of my new ones has a prolapsed vent too

I've been using coconut oil since it was really all I have, hadn't thought about preparation H I'll have to try it. I only have the cooling kind, would that be ok to use? Hers stays in for a few minutes but that's it...